The National Center on Health offers visually attractive, simply stated resources for infant, toddler and preschool care. Anyone can down-load the electronic copies from the Internet. Head Start programs can order hard copy from the National Center at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. These materials have excellent content for teachers/caregivers to use in their programs and to share with families:

Take a look at the National Center’s Health Tips (Fact Sheets) for Families* (and teachers): Download an individual one page fact sheets when you need a handout on one of the topics or download the complete series in English [PDF, 1.2MB] and Spanish (español) [PDF, 309KB]* The following topic are available as handouts:

Active Play includes tips to help infants, toddlers and preschoolers develop positive active play behaviors.

Health Literacy provides information about how to understand and use health information that doctors and other health professionals give.

This interactive first aid instruction workshop uses PedFACTs (Pediatric First Aid for Caregivers and Teachers) a manual developed by the American Academy of Pediatrics. Upon successful completion, participants receive a card. The workshop content includes management of common injuries as well as care for life-threatening conditions such as a blocked airway. Soon there will be both a 4 hour in-person version and an online/ 1.5 to 2 hour in-person hybrid version available.

As of the end of February 2013, all play yards sold in the United States must meet the new and improved federal safety standard to prevent injuries and deaths of children. All child care providers who care for infants and toddlers and new parents, should be aware that newer is better when it comes to the safety of play yards. The new federal standard addresses hazards associated with play yard side rails, corner brackets, and mattress attachments. These changes are meant to prevent strangulation, entrapment, lacerations, and other injuries. New tests add to existing requirements that include a stability test to prevent the play yard from tipping over, latch and lock mechanisms to keep the play yard from folding on a child when it is being used, and minimum side height requirements to prevent children from getting out of the play yard on their own. The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission has a poster that summarizes the new standard and is available in English (PDF). The poster also has Safe Sleep tips to help keep baby safe in his or her sleep environment. Be sure to post this free resource wherever parents and care givers might see it. Reviewed and reaffirmed 7/2018

Poison control centers are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Their staff respond to poisoning emergencies and information calls from the public and from healthcare providers. They educate parents and caregivers of children about prevention. The risk of poisoning is highest among children less than 2 years of age. Most poisonings happen when adults are busy and not paying close attention to an exploring child. Children like to taste even things that smell bad.

Safe Kids USA is a nationwide network of organizations with a mission to prevent unintentional childhood injury, the leading cause of death and disability for children ages 1 to 14. State and local chapters educate families, professionals who work with children, and provide safety devices to families in need and advocate for better laws to help keep children safe, healthy and out of the emergency room. 12/2012

Materials and links to reliable informaton about preventing sleep-related deaths of infants are available on the website of the National Institute of Child health and Human Development. For more information go to http://www.nichd.nih.gov/sids/

The federally-funded Healthy Child Care America national resource center at the American Academy of Pediatrics developed a FREE online educational training program for child care providers. To learn more about this program or to take the training for 1 hour of continuing education credit, go to http://www.healthychildcare.org/sids.htm. Reviewed and reaffirmed 3/2018.

The Safe to Sleep campaign of the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development evolved from the Back to Sleep campaign that NICHD started in 1994. The campaign educate parents, caregivers, and health care providers about ways to reduce the risk for Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) and other sleep-related causes of infant death. Placing healthy babies on their backs to sleep is the most effective action that parents and caregivers can take to reduce the risk of SIDS. Since that campaign started, the percentage of infants placed on their backs to sleep has increased dramatically. The overall SIDS rates have declined by more than 50%. Other factors involved in sleep-related deaths are important too. The website has a video and brochures that can be downloaded at no cost. 12/2012

The information and resources provided through this Web site are for educational purposes only. ECELS-Healthy Child Care Pennsylvania is not engaged in rendering medical advice or professional services. The information provided should not be used for diagnosing or treating a health problem or a disease. If you have health-related questions you should consult a health care professional.